The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien - Read by Nicol Williamson
There are numerous audio recordings and dramatisations of of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Most recently in 2020, actor Andy Serkis, famous for his portrayal of Gollum in Peter Jackson’s films, read an unabridged version of this classic story. Both critics and fans praised Serkis for his prodigious vocal range and ability to give distinct, recognisable voices to over a hundred characters. Prior to this in 1991, actor and playwright Rob Inglis, recorded the first unabridged version. This production was notable for its more traditional approach to storytelling, where as Serkis’ recording emphasises the drama. Inglis similarly gave each character a unique voice and sang all the songs featured in the text. However, prior to these, in 1974, Argo Records released an abridged recording of The Hobbit narrated by Scottish-born actor Nicol Williamson. Upon release this 4-LP box set was positively appraised but over the years has eclipsed by the aforementioned releases.
Nicol Williamson was an experienced and well regarded actor on stage and screen at the time, having received critical acclaim for his RSC portrayal of Hamlet and in films such as The Bofors Gun and The Reckoning. His love of Shakespeare drew him to the linguistic style of Tolkien’s writing and his lyrical and idiosyncratic vocal technique made him ideal to narrate The Hobbit. Hence he worked closely with Harely Usill, the audio producer and managing director of Argo Records on the project. Usil had prepared an abridged script that Williamson further refined for the final recording. The intention was to find a balance between Tolkien’s descriptive narrative and the key dialogue between characters, while moving the story forward. The recording with further embellished with ambient music from Argo Records audio library. This includes material by Bob Stewart which is derived from Medieval music.
Nicol Williamson famously played Merlin in John Boorman’s 1981 film, Excalibur. Boorman previously wrote an adaptation The Lord of the Rings for United Artists that was never filmed
This adaptation of The Hobbit is very atmospheric. It uses music cues sparingly but when it does it is often at the right moment dramatically. Williamson’s mercurial performance is also compelling, especially with regard to the variety of voices he gives. The characters of Bilbo Baggins with his West Country accent and Gandalf with his portentous exclamations particularly standout. Overall the abridgement works, although there are a few omissions that leave minor plot holes, such as the Dwarves wondering into the Wood Elves camps, attracted by the fires and subsequently being captured. The recording also chooses to leave out the codicil at the end of the story when Balin and Gandalf visit Bilbo, 8 years later. As ever with productions of Tolkien’s work, there can be some minor deviations in pronunciations but there is nothing present that spoils the proceedings. This is a strong book reading due to the acting skills of the central narrator.
Sadly, the original 4-LP box set by Argo Record of The Hobbit is currently out of print, as is the audio cassette version. There has not been a more recent release on a more contemporary physical format such as CD. The recording is available on Spotify but unofficially on personally curated playlists. However, there is a chance that this recording may be made available again, as Decca Records which own Argo, revived the label in 2020 to reissue its spoken word content. Furthermore, it should also be noted that in December this year, Demon Music Group is releasing a 14-CD box set of the BBC Radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, in its original 30 minute, 26 episode format. If that proves to be a commercial success, then Decca may well consider a remaster of their adaptation of The Hobbit. In the meantime, collectors can find original vinyl copies on eBay and casual listeners can enjoy the recording on Spotify and YouTube.
There are numerous audio recordings and dramatisations of of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Most recently in 2020, actor Andy Serkis, famous for his portrayal of Gollum in Peter Jackson’s films, read an unabridged version of this classic story. Both critics and fans praised Serkis for his prodigious vocal range and ability to give distinct, recognisable voices to over a hundred characters. Prior to this in 1991, actor and playwright Rob Inglis, recorded the first unabridged version. This production was notable for its more traditional approach to storytelling, where as Serkis’ recording emphasises the drama. Inglis similarly gave each character a unique voice and sang all the songs featured in the text. However, prior to these, in 1974, Argo Records released an abridged recording of The Hobbit narrated by Scottish-born actor Nicol Williamson. Upon release this 4-LP box set was positively appraised but over the years has eclipsed by the aforementioned releases.